Steering wheel



Dec. 30, 1952 F, W, SAMSON 2,623,405

STEERING WHEEL.

Filed NOV. l, 1950 Patented Dec. 30, 195.2

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEERING WHEEL Frederick W. Sampson, Dayton,Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Application November 1, 1950, Serial No. 193,336

(Cl. 'lli-552) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to hand wheels, especlally to such as are used assteering wheels on automotive vehicles.

Heretofore many different types of resilient steering wheels have beenproposed having as their chief purpose to reduce vibrations normallytransmitted from the steering shaft to the hands of the operator whenthe steering wheel rim is rmly grasped. For this purpose steering wheelshaving various somewhat complicated and relatively costly structureshave been designed.

Now an object of this invention is to provide a simple and economicallymade vibrationdampening hub and spoke connection which can be readilyincorporated with a steering wheel having any desired design of moldedrim rigidly connected to the wheel spokes as in present day moldedsteering wheels. In such wheel the vibration-dampening connection at theinner ends of the spokes serves to dampen any tendency of the relativelyrigid wheel rim and spokes to vibrate in any direction and especially.to dampen rotary oscillations thereof.

Another object is to provide such a wheel hub and spoke connectionwherein each spoke is individually isolated from and resilientlyconnected to the metal hub portion by an interposed vibration-dampeningsoft rubber bushing.

Another object is to provide a molded main rim body of resilient softrubber or rubber-like material having a separately molded decorativecover encasing the more prominent surfaces of said soit rubber main rimbody and held fixed thereupon by mutually interlocking portions on saidmain body and decorative cover.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a partial plan view of an automotive steering wheel madeaccording to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a section thru the wheel rim taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a detail View, partially in vertical section, of the outermetal sleeve forming part of the resilient connection between the metalhub and one of the spokes. l

Fig. 5 is an end viewrof Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in vertical section, of the resilientrubber bushing forming part of a spoke and hub connection.

Fig.7 is anend view of Fig. 6.

Similar reference charactersrefer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Numeral Il) designates the usual metal hub portion having a tapered boreil designed to fit down upon the tapered upper end of a steering shaft,and having a splined bore I2 designed to t upon a correspondinglysplined portion of the steering shaft for providing a positive drivingengagement therebetween. For the 3-spoke wheel illustrated, three metalcylindrical outer sleeves l5 are each rigidly welded around its outerperiphery to hub I6 as shown at llt. Each metal sleeve l5 has insertedtherein and retains under the desired radial compression one of theresilient soft rubber bushings 29, which is shown in Figs. 6 and '7 inits normal unstressed size and shape and having an outer diametergreater than the bore of its metal sleeve Iii. Each bushing 20 has aclosed end 2l which is preferably slightly tapered at its outer diameteras shown at 22 in Fig. 6. The metal spokes 25 each have a round innerend portion 26 which lits snugly within the bore 23 of rubber bushing 20when said bushing 20 is in unstressed form.

To assemble the spoke end 26 and bushing 26 within its outer sleeve l5the soft rubber bushing 20 must be materially reduced in diameter fromits unstressed form shown in Fig. 6 due t0 the smaller bore of sleevel5. Such assembling may be done by first inserting the rounded spoke end26 home within bore 23 of bushing 26 and then forcing the tapered end 22of bushing 20 endwise into the smaller bore of sleeve l5. The roundedend surface 2'1 of spoke end 26 bears directly upon the closed end 2l ofbushing 20, and thus stretches bushing 2i! lengthwise and at the sametime reduces its outer diameter sufficiently for it to be forced homeendwise into the sleeve l5 to its nal assembled position shown insection in Fig. 2. In order to facilitate such forcing of rubber bushing26 into .its sleeve l5, preferably a small metal funnel (not shown) istemporarily properly set upon and located in alignment with the outerend of sleeve l5 to more easily guide rubber bushing 20 into sleeve l5and prevent it from being cut or otherwise marred by the outer end l1 ofmetal sleeve l5 as said rubber bushing 2i] is forced into said metalsleeve I5. After the spoke end 26 and its rubber bushing 20 have beenforced radially inwardly to their positions shown in Fig. 2 and theapplied inward force on spoke 25 is released, the rubber bushing 26 willremain substantially in its distorted elongated position due to sleeveI5 preventing bushing 20 from again resuming its original largerdiameter. Thus the rubber bushing 20 s retained permanently radiallycompressed between outer sleeve i and the inserted spoke end 26. Thethus formed metal-isolating and Vibration-dampening connection of eachspoke to the metal hub Hl is indicated by reference numeral 30.

After-allthe spokes 25 havebeen connected to hub IU asabove described,the reinforcing metal rim ring 4Q is welded to the outer ends 28 of theradially projecting spokes 25 in any well-known manner, preferably byoverlapping spoke ends 2 8 and rim ring 4E! and electric welding thesevparts together under pressure to substantially integrate same and formstrong weldedjoints. The wheel spider thus formed may be used as aninsert in a suitable mold and have themain rim body 59 molded about rimring et in a customary manner. Also the molded rim body El! can readilybe-.molded integral with the molded spoke portions 5l, which may extendradially inward along v`metal spokes 25 as far as desired ,in anyspecinc design.

According to this invention the molded main rim body and molded spokeportions 5l are preferably made of relatively soft rubber which willprovide an additional soft cushioning eiect for shielding the handsofthe operator from the vibrations of the steering Wheel shaft. Since sucha relatively soft rubber rim 5a does not have a well-appearing polishedsurface, such as is normally demanded in present day automotive steeringWheels, the separately molded relatively hard decorative cover Sli ofany suitable plastic material is provided for the moreprominent andexposed surfaces or the wheel rim.

' Now according to .this invention the cross section of the soft rubberrimt is molded to the shape shown in Fig. 3, having shoulders El andsmall grooves 62 extending continuously around said rim 59. Theseparately molded decorative covert@ is moldedas a continuous one-piecering to the cross section shown in Fig. 3, and is provided vvithinterlocking edges t3 which tvsnugly in place against shoulders E! and`in ,the small grooves 62 on the soft rubber-bodyfrim 50 when theseparate cover 6l! is nally pressed int-o place upon saidtsofft rubberrim body 5d, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Preferably the decorative cover Si! is molded vfrom a clear transparentplastic molding material, examples of which are Vinylite resin,polystyrene, cellulose acetate butyrate (tenite 2) and methylmethacrylate (Lucite). Such a transparent cover .60 aiter jmoldingthereof and prior to assembling saine on rim 5D preferably-has its undersurface 65 directly coated with. any desired thin decorative Coatingapplied by any welikIlOWll .m'thoi .SllCh as by .SDlaJ @willig a 'CQOled.enamel Coating thereon. or by .depositing :va-porizad aluminum or.other metal thereupon. Such a decorative vcoating willappearipromipoptlyvisible thru the transparant plastic. Cover titi., yetsinoeit lies on the ,underneath surface kt5 thereof it `will-be Vfullyprotected against surface ,wearer other damage after cover :to isassembled-upon rim body 5S iasxsliowoin'Fie- 3.. .Alsorapydesired reliefdesign in sprayedenamel colors or vaporiaed metal maybe obtained Iinsuch decorative-undercoating by molding .the desired relief design ,inthe under surface 65 at the time `tlie separate cover V60 is molded. Forexample, the drawings shows. relief groove 66 molded in theunderlsurfaceof cover 60. Thefsurfaces of groove 365 may be coated with a vaporizedmetal or yother coating while the ,remaining portionsof the underneathsurface 65 .are spray coated with black enamel. Inail cases the visibledecorative coatordinary compounds of natural rubber and syntheticrubber-like materials.

EWhile the embodiment ofthe present invention ykasherein-disclosed,,constitutes a preferred form,

it @sito be 'understood that other forms might be adopted.

vWhatis claimed is ,as follows:

"l. A steering wheel comprising a metal reinforcingrim ring, a moldedrim body of a first molding material molded upon and embedding saidrimring, ,and a one-,piecedecorative cover ring molde-d .from ,aseoondmoldinematerial tting closely upon and encasing the upper.- surfaces ofsaid rim body but extending only partially around the rim section, saiddecorative cover ring boinasoparately molded as a unitarypieoe apartfrom said rim ,body and subsequently fixed in placeupon saidrirn body bymutually interlocking portions onsaidcover ring and rim body.

2. A. steering wheel having a metal -rim ring and a Amain rim body ofrubber-,like material molded in situ uponand embedding said metal ring,a separately molded plastic .decorative annular shell 4bodily yprg-assed.into place and overlying and enoasing an outer prominent Yportion ofthe rim section, `said annular y.Shall haring a `generallyhalii-cireular cross section Of ,such dimensions and resiliency that,said decorative shell may have its Vcross sectional opening ap.-v pliedto and be ,forced .to snap around .a aulostantialiportion of the kcrosssection of Ysaid `main rlmfbdy-arld betharabystronsly retainedtherellpOIl.

3.1i, `steering lWheel :as Claimed in .Claim 2 wherein said separatelymolded decorative-shell molded of a transparantplastic .material and hasa decorative f-ooatine applied to :its ,undernoatn Surface `pri. .r toassembling .sa-id Sheu ,upon ,said malo frim body, Wllaraby saiddecorative coating ,will appearprominentlyvisible thru ysaidtransparent. hall in tpe .rlal wheel rim- 1a-,o -,Sie@nos Wheel :as,plaimad .ip Claim 2 wliaroi saidrim body is .molded of ralatiyely `Softk totial and salti `'sloop-1:ativp,sho .is yelyfiiard; aar p1stiomatarial, .said shell .having .la ,fipporatiya :thin vepatite, ofvaporized metalfapplierleliraptly:to ltauriderneath surface prior .to4asaoutline' `,Said ,spoil upoiisaid mainrimbody, whereby, atlve:seating willbe prominently visible; rufsaid .clear plastic material inthe nal wheel rim.

REFERENCES .,ClzTED The following references are of record 1 -the le yof this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number llame Dato 1,716,856 Kidd June 11, 192,9Y2,152,370 `Woollard IMar. v28, v-1939 2,155,488 Hendrie Apr. 25, V1939FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 440,320 Great tentato gnvDec- 2,45y.1.935 525,273 Greatlaritain g Agg. 2e, 1940

